Nigeria: Project Monitoring And Evaluation in Cross River
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Hennie
Jul 31, 2009, 7:11:10 AM7/31/09
to Pan Afrcan M&E
Nigeria: Project Monitoring And Evaluation in Cross River
19 July 2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lagos — Both political and development economists have long been
proved right in their claim that no project or programme can be
successfully executed without a conscious and well articulated
monitoring and evaluation system or framework.
Such a monitoring and evaluation system must of necessity form an
integral part of the development plan and budgetary process.
Indeed, such a framework has long been adopted by advanced nations as
well as the emerging ones, hence their sustained and robust
development benchmarks and overhead capital.
But very unfortunately, Africa, nay Nigeria as well as Cross River
State before the advent of the Governor Liyel Imoke-led administration
has been unable to initiate such a result-oriented development
approach.
Historically, the deliberate neglect of such a development system in
the State has been characterized with wide gaps invariably existing
between the planned outputs and actual field performance.
In other words, actual performance evaluated from planned project and
programme specifications never used to slow any close relationship.
More seriously, a correlation of project and programme performance
with actual funds released for the execution of such projects and
programmes usually revealed a disturbing and yawning gap. In such a
situation, the problem was always attributable to poor implementation
and monitoring, poor monitoring instruments and ineffective reporting,
and review mechanism.
In this regard, there was always a widespread of project abandonment,
sharp practices associated with shoddy performance, and upward
contract review occasionally arising from deliberate delays in project
execution.
The collateral consequence of such a pathetic practical scenario was a
decay in most infrastructure and stagnant development process in the
State. It is with a view to redressing such an ugly development
culture that the State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, recently
inaugurated the Project/Programmes Monitoring and Evaluation Unit in
the context of recognizing and applying modern monitoring and
reporting mechanisms as well as utilize same in the evaluation
process.
The strategic objectives of the Unit are to ensure that policy thrust
of the Cross River State Economic and Empowerment Development Strategy
(CR-SEEDS), the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the new
Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) as well as other
development projects and programmes are effectively and efficiently
executed as planned, ensure correspondence between planned and actual
performances and programmes; reduce waste and duplication of efforts
to near zero level; and ensure built-in incentives in all Ministries
and agencies to promote successful projects and programme
implementation.
Led by EJA-DONS ESEGE, a strong-willed dynamic young man with high
integrity coupled with his technical know-how and good understanding
of the sectors and project/programmes to be monitored and evaluated,
the Unit has since swung into action with a wide tour of all the 18
Local Government areas in the State to inspect various projects, twice
in six months.
The result of the project/programmes monitoring and evaluation has
been much revealing with the observation of perfect implementation of
some projects while others have been characterized by lapses and sharp
practices, to the extent that some other projects have even been
apparently delayed or abandoned with a view to requesting for upward
contract cost review of such projects.
But it is interesting to observe that the Cross River State Project/
Programmes Monitoring and Evaluation Unit has been living up to its
billings by strictly following the clearly articulated guidelines of
the project/programmes monitoring process which include benchmarks,
targets activities, timelines and accurate implementation. In other
words, the Unit has refused to compromise any standard in its mandate.
Relevant Links
West Africa
Nigeria
Sustainable Development
Infrastructure
Sustainable Development
Urban Issues
Business
Accordingly, the rigid stand of the Project/Programmes Monitoring and
Evaluation Unit by sticking to transparency and accountability in the
context of effective and efficient execution of projects and
programmes has sent signals of seriousness of all MDAs Council
Chairmen and various contractors in the State.
Such a rigid stand by the Unit is predicated on its strong belief that
the present administration of Governor Liyel Imoke will effectively
continue to employ monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure that
set targets from the respective MDAs Local Governments and other
development sectors are met, and that performance of critical
variables in the economy and the execution of measures and projects
will be completely tracked during the tenure of the present
administration
19 July 2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lagos — Both political and development economists have long been
proved right in their claim that no project or programme can be
successfully executed without a conscious and well articulated
monitoring and evaluation system or framework.
Such a monitoring and evaluation system must of necessity form an
integral part of the development plan and budgetary process.
Indeed, such a framework has long been adopted by advanced nations as
well as the emerging ones, hence their sustained and robust
development benchmarks and overhead capital.
But very unfortunately, Africa, nay Nigeria as well as Cross River
State before the advent of the Governor Liyel Imoke-led administration
has been unable to initiate such a result-oriented development
approach.
Historically, the deliberate neglect of such a development system in
the State has been characterized with wide gaps invariably existing
between the planned outputs and actual field performance.
In other words, actual performance evaluated from planned project and
programme specifications never used to slow any close relationship.
More seriously, a correlation of project and programme performance
with actual funds released for the execution of such projects and
programmes usually revealed a disturbing and yawning gap. In such a
situation, the problem was always attributable to poor implementation
and monitoring, poor monitoring instruments and ineffective reporting,
and review mechanism.
In this regard, there was always a widespread of project abandonment,
sharp practices associated with shoddy performance, and upward
contract review occasionally arising from deliberate delays in project
execution.
The collateral consequence of such a pathetic practical scenario was a
decay in most infrastructure and stagnant development process in the
State. It is with a view to redressing such an ugly development
culture that the State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, recently
inaugurated the Project/Programmes Monitoring and Evaluation Unit in
the context of recognizing and applying modern monitoring and
reporting mechanisms as well as utilize same in the evaluation
process.
The strategic objectives of the Unit are to ensure that policy thrust
of the Cross River State Economic and Empowerment Development Strategy
(CR-SEEDS), the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the new
Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) as well as other
development projects and programmes are effectively and efficiently
executed as planned, ensure correspondence between planned and actual
performances and programmes; reduce waste and duplication of efforts
to near zero level; and ensure built-in incentives in all Ministries
and agencies to promote successful projects and programme
implementation.
Led by EJA-DONS ESEGE, a strong-willed dynamic young man with high
integrity coupled with his technical know-how and good understanding
of the sectors and project/programmes to be monitored and evaluated,
the Unit has since swung into action with a wide tour of all the 18
Local Government areas in the State to inspect various projects, twice
in six months.
The result of the project/programmes monitoring and evaluation has
been much revealing with the observation of perfect implementation of
some projects while others have been characterized by lapses and sharp
practices, to the extent that some other projects have even been
apparently delayed or abandoned with a view to requesting for upward
contract cost review of such projects.
But it is interesting to observe that the Cross River State Project/
Programmes Monitoring and Evaluation Unit has been living up to its
billings by strictly following the clearly articulated guidelines of
the project/programmes monitoring process which include benchmarks,
targets activities, timelines and accurate implementation. In other
words, the Unit has refused to compromise any standard in its mandate.
Relevant Links
West Africa
Nigeria
Sustainable Development
Infrastructure
Sustainable Development
Urban Issues
Business
Accordingly, the rigid stand of the Project/Programmes Monitoring and
Evaluation Unit by sticking to transparency and accountability in the
context of effective and efficient execution of projects and
programmes has sent signals of seriousness of all MDAs Council
Chairmen and various contractors in the State.
Such a rigid stand by the Unit is predicated on its strong belief that
the present administration of Governor Liyel Imoke will effectively
continue to employ monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure that
set targets from the respective MDAs Local Governments and other
development sectors are met, and that performance of critical
variables in the economy and the execution of measures and projects
will be completely tracked during the tenure of the present
administration
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